WASHINGTON — President Bush acceded to dissident Senate Republicans on Thursday, agreeing to new rules for interrogating and prosecuting suspected terrorists that leave intact international treaty protections against torture.
In a major concession to Arizona Sen. John McCain and other Republicans, the administration dropped its efforts to have Congress redefine U.S. obligations under the Geneva Convention. The compromise bill in effect bans the most controversial CIA interrogation tactics, including water boarding, a form of simulated drowning, said those involved in the negotiations.
At the same time, the agreement gives Bush the legal protections he said were needed to preserve a secret CIA interrogation program. The compromise bill would allow Bush the latitude to employ interrogation tactics which go beyond legal limits set for the U.S. military.
Both McCain and Bush hailed the agreement, saying their most important priorities had been met.
"There is no doubt that the integrity and letter and spirit of the Geneva Conventions have been preserved," McCain said after hours of closed-door, often tense negotiations.
Bush, campaigning for GOP candidates in Florida, said the agreement would achieve his goal of preserving a critical CIA interrogation program that "will help us crack the terror network and to save American lives."
But many human rights advocates involved in the debate expressed satisfaction that the White House had been forced to drop its demands that Congress redefine U.S. treaty obligations.
"The administration did not achieve its goal of having the Geneva Convention redefined," said Elisa Massimino, the Washington director of Human Rights First. "The agreement makes clear that the president can't downgrade the humane treatment standards of the Geneva Conventions, and that Congress is unwilling to do that."
While at least a partial setback for Bush, the deal heads off a politically embarrassing intra-party showdown in an election year and also paves the way for trials of terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The compromise followed weeks of wrenching debate in which Bush's proposal was criticized by leading members of his own party, including McCain and former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said the legislation would permit aggressive interrogation techniques that will "get us good information" but would "put boundaries around conduct that would not represent American values."
